shafee



(No Model.) A 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. B. SHAPER. TELEGRAPH APPARATUS.

NQ. 4Z0,393. PaJtentedJaQn. 28, 1890.

I INVENTU R WITNESSES: W

N. EETERS, Photu-Lflhcgrapher. Washinglon, D. C,

Y 2 Sheets Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

B. B. SHAPER. TELEGRAPH APPARATUS.

No. 420,393. Patented Jam-28, 1-890.

Fig. 5

CFigJL Fig.5- Fig-5- INVENTVDR:

WITNESSES: W

N. PETERS. PhnlmLiiMgnphnr. W:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF CE.

EBENEZER B. SHAFER, OF N EWV YORK, N. Y.

TELEGRAPH APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 420,393, dated January28, 1890.

Application filed February 14, 1889- $erial No. 299,858. (No model.)

To 04- whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EBENEZER B. SHAFER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Telegraph Apparatus; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of' the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an'improvement of automatic telegraph apparatus, wherebyit is designed to provide a system of telegraphy available for generaluse and capable of being operated by persons unskilled in telegraphyofthe present intricate system, as hereinafter fully described, referencebeing made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 isafrontelevation of my improved instrument with the front of the caseremoved. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation. Fig. 3 is a front elevation ofthe complete instrument. Figs. 4: to 9, inclusive, represent differentforms of circuit-wheelsv employed in the machine; and Fig. 10 is adiagram of the electrical circuit.

For the basis of the apparatus I employ the well-known apparatus inwhich there is a circuit making and breaking spring-powerdriven wheel a,connected in an electric circuit through a contact-brush b, whichtransmits signals in accordance with the teeth or notches in the face ofthe wheel, making and breaking the circuit through the brush. Thiscircuit-wheel is mounted on the shaft 0, which is geared by a pinion wonit, and the large driving-wheel j on shaft f, with the drivingspring g,connected with said shaft for drivin g said circuit-wheel when the shaftis turned by the crank it, suitably for winding up the spring and thenlet go. The wheel 9 is connected with the crank-shaft f by the pawl e onit, and the ratchet-wheel t' on said shaft to allow the shaft to beturned for winding up the spring without turning the circuitwheelbackward. The crank-shaft is turned backward one or more teeth ofratchett' along the pawl e, according as the number of contactscircuit-wheel a is to make for transmit ting the required signal, orseveral signals with interruptions, as hereinafter described.

The shaft f has a stop-arm k, which comes in contact with a stop Z whenthe said shaft returns to the starting-point and arrests the same andholds it ready for another operation, the driving-spring being stillunder tension.

The circuit wheel a is connected with the battery-wire m, and thecontact-brush is connected with the line-wire n.

The line-wire connected with the register, sounder, or otherreceiving-instrument c in the station transmits thereto but one form ofsignalas dots or dashes-corresponding to the impulses transmitted by thecircuit-wheel and due to the form of teeth making the con tact. Themachine is therefore so limited in capacity that it only serves for afew arbitrary calls or signals; but with my improvements, which I willnow describe, it is rendered available for general use and withconsiderable rapidity, though not as rapidly as by the common system ofexpert telegraphy,

and still may be used by unskilled persons.

I employ a series of two or more contactwheels, as a a a a a M, &c., onsaid shaft 0, but insulated from it and from each other, and eachadapted in the form of its teeth for making signals distinguishable fromthe signals of the rest, as represented more particularly in Figs. 4 to9, inclusive, with a brush q and branch wire g connecting eachseparately with the battery-line through the hub s, and a contact-brushb, to take the circuit from the teetheach separately, same as describedfor the wheel a, but instead of being connected directly with theline-wire they are connected, respectively, with a button or key t,which only makes connection with the linewire when pressed against thebar u, so that the circuit may be sent through either circuit-wheel atwill, all being turned together; and I also utilize wheel (1 of thedriving mechanism for another contact-wheel by providing the uppersurface with suitable teeth 1), also having connection with thebattery-wire and also having acontact-brush. b similarly con nected withthe bar 16 through a push-button If.

The wheel a Figs. 1 and 2, has its teeth adapted to make dots, and isbrought into connection with the wire by the push-button or key-studindicated by a dot in the front View, Fig. 3. The other circuit-wheelshave their teeth differently shaped in accordance with the diiferentcharacters used, and as indicated in connection with the rest of thepush-studs, respectively, by which they are similarly brought intoconnection with the line-wire.

The contact-wheels are all set for use by the crank it alike, and thepush-stud t of the one whose characters are to be used is held by theoperator in contact with bar a while the wheel is turning, during whichtime all the other wheels are out of circuit. The crank is shiftedaround a gaged dial a: for setting the circuit-wheels, and I haveprovided it with a spring stop-latch yto ride over and drop into theteeth of a stationary disk 5 under the crank for a retarder tofacilitate stopping the crank at the right positions and fora regulatorto the motion of the springpower, the said retarder and regulator beingso gaged that the latch is in the bottom of a notch when the crank is inthe right position for stopping at any one point. But the latch is notintended for a positive stop. It is only to make such resistance as willbe an aid to the operator by affording a little more resistance when inthe bottom of anotch than elsewhere, but will not materially interferewith either the turning of the crank by hand for setting the instrumentor by its operation by the driving-spring, except so as to regulate themotion of the same to some extent, as above stated. The power ofthisretarder may be varied by varying. the tension of the spring holdingthe stop-latch in the notches of the disk.

I arrange the stop Z so that it may be shifted out of range of the stop-arm 75, and provide it with a shifting-stud a, projecting out throughthe case, whereby the crank may be turned one or more times round for alonger run of the circuit-wheels, which is sometimes desired for signalsof longer duration and more conspicuous note, the said stop being heldout of range during as many turns as desired and then shifted back whenthe instrument is to be stopped. I also utilize the pallet-bar b of theescapement-regnlator common to this form of spring powers for anotherstop by providing the push-stud c to be pressed in against said bar andheld so as to lock the train for short intervals of time by holding thepallet in engagement with the escapement-wheel when it may be desired tomake longer intervals of time between signals of any circuit than whenit runs unobstructedly. For instance, if the code used consists of thesignals of any one circuit-wheel, varied as to consecutive numbers ofits signals, the driving-sprin g may be wound up one or more turns andthe signals may be given in the order of the code by interrupting themovement of the driving-train accordingly. A spring (1 is provided toshift and hold the push-stud 0 out of range of the pa1let-bar when thestop is not to be used.

The bell o is arranged for two purposes first, to ring when the messageor call is sent and strike for each break of the circuit and denote tothe sender the sending of the call or message, for it will not ringunless the circuit is complete and in working order. For this purposethe magnet 79 is connected in the circuit by the wires 1). For thesecond purpose it is to be used independently of the sending-instrumentto signal back from the receiving-station, the magnet being in this caseconnected with the batterywire on by the wire m, and also connected withthe station by a separate line-wire q, having a button q thereat fortransmitting the return-sig nal. In this example I have represented theinstrument as adapted for the open circuit; but it may be arranged forthe closed circuit, if desired, the only difference being that thecircuit-wheels shall have contact with the brushes b when at rest, thesignals then be ing caused by the breaks of the circuit in stead of thecontacts.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of the series of toothedcontact-wheels positively connected to a com mon shaft, a branch lineand brushes and circuit-closer to each contact-wheel branch line, theconnecting-bar of the main line common to all. circuit-closers, and thedriving train connected with the contact-wheel shaft through theratchet-and'pawl device and having the stop to produce any predeterminednumber of contacts with any one of i the series of contact-wheels,according as the driver is set by the ratchet, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination of the series of toothed contact-wheels connected toa common shaft,

the branch line to each contactavheel having a brush in constant contactwith a hub of said wheel and a makeand-breakcontactbrush to the teeth, acircuit-closer to each contact-Wheel branch line, the connecting bar ofthe main line connected to all the circuit-closers, and thedriving-train connected with the contact-wheel shaft through theratchet-and-pawl device and having the stop to produce any predeterminednumber of contacts with any one of the series of con tact-wheels,according as the driver is set by the ratchet, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination, with the stop-arm k, of the spring-power driver andone or more circuit making and breaking Wheels of the shifting-stop Z,and the stud-shifter a there for in the described arrangement forallowing one or more uninterrupted turns of the stop-arm 70,substantially as described.

4. The combination of the retarding springlatch arranged to slideforward and back ward on the crank-arm and the stationary notched diskon the axis of the crankshaft, with the crank-arm of the spring-powercir cuit making and breakingwheel driver, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the series of toothed contact-wheels positivelyconnected to a (30111- mon shaft, a branch line and brushes andcircuit-closer to each contact-wheel, the connecting-bar of the mainline common to all the circuit-closers, the driving-train con- 7 nectedwith the COHtELCtVVhQGl shaft through the ratchet-and-pawl device andhaving the stop to produce any predetermined number of contacts with anyone of the series of con- IO tact-wheels, according as the driver isset;

In testimony whereof I affix my signature I in presence of twowitnesses.

EBENEZER B, SI-IAFER.

Witnesses:

W. J. MORGAN, W. B. EARLL.

